In the scorching summer sun,
A young boy is playing soccer by himself.
He’s in his front yard, commentating his every move.
And here comes Kim! He’s driving, dribbling, shoots…. GOAL!!!
The neighborhood kids are laughing at him, but he doesn’t mind.
He’s wearing the jersey of his favorite player.
Manchester United, #13. J.S. Park.
His dream is to become a professional soccer player.
World Cup Stadium. Captain of the Korean National Team.
He’s not naturally gifted, but he’ll only get better.
He heard that milk makes you grow big and strong–
He drinks 5 glasses a day and gives it his all at practice,
Feelings overflowing before reason.
One day, a classmate tells him,
“You should play for a club if you’re serious about this.
You’ll travel the country to play, and the coaches help you develop.”
Excited, he goes home and asks his parents.
He’s young, but he can sense it in their tone, in their faces–
The pain of being unable to support their child’s dream,
Not from a lack of belief, but from a lack of resources.
He feels like crying, but he doesn’t want to break their heart.
He laughs it off, says that he likes recreational soccer better anyway.
Time passes.
At 11 years old, he fails the tryouts for the school team.
At 16 years old, he accepts that he isn’t good enough to become a professional League of Legends player. His parents wouldn’t have approved anyway.
At 19 years old, he learns that GPA does, in fact, matter, and that he shouldn’t have taken the saying “C’s get degrees” so literally if he wanted to get into medical or PA school.
At 21 years old, his first healthcare job at a nursing home sends him into an existential crisis.
At 22 years old, he becomes an optician in hopes of becoming an optometrist, only to realize that the career doesn’t have a great outlook.
At 23 years old, he tries and fails at UX design.
At 25 years old, he doesn’t get accepted into PA school.
At 26 years old, he’s preparing to try again.
In the scorching summer sun,
A young man is playing soccer by himself.
Driving, dribbling…
marginalia 